


Breaking The Magician's Code

by maxthebd



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Magic, Multi, Other, Sex Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-10 03:48:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11683392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maxthebd/pseuds/maxthebd
Summary: Prompt: You are a famous hotshot magician performer and I’m an actual witch who is supposed to expose you but fuck you are cute





	1. Almost Easy

“Just promise me that you won’t humiliate my sister,” Matthew Holt leaned up against the doorjamb and stared at the man balancing in what he referred to as “grasshopper pose” during a drunken night out. “She’s worked really hard to get this point and I can’t stand aside while someone decides to out her as a fraud. I can’t, Shiro, and you fucking know it.”

Shirogane Takashi snapped gray eyes toward his best friend, watching the man leave the door of his studio to pace around a small area. For someone who claimed he never believed in magic, the eldest Holt sibling was awfully aware of the wards Shiro had placed around his loft. 

The entire Holt family knew how Shiro felt about magicians.

Which was probably why Katie, in a stroke of brilliant rebellion, gave up a promising career in intergalactic communications and went into fucking street magic.

Shiro swore she did it just because she knew the world of “magic” drove Shiro up the fucking wall.

But if she wanted his attention, she certainly got it.

“I make no promises, Matt. You know this. I suspect she knows this, and given how smart your sister is, I suspect she _knows_.”

Matt sighed, watching Shiro unwind out of the pose and stand before him, all 6’5” inches of powerful muscle, scarred skin, and _power_ that even science couldn’t explain. Matt spent the last six years drawn to the man and well, some secrets even the Hedge Witch would never learn. 

“Wouldn’t put it past her.” He agreed and stood tall, knowing that he barely came up to Shiro’s chin. “Just don’t ruin her like you did Zarkon. 

Shiro stepped close, a robotic arm on the wall to pin his friend against it, knowing exactly what effect he had on Matthew Holt. “Let’s hope she doesn’t fight me. She won’t win.”

Matt cringed and watched Shiro step closer, bodily pinning him to the wall. “Touch Katie like that and I will destroy you, Takashi.”

“Not quite the way I had envisioned, Matt. That said, want to be my date tonight?”

Matt stared up at the Hedge Witch, flabbergasted. “For what?”

“We have two front row tickets to a M.P. Gunderson show. I need to see what we’re up against.”

“Since when did this become a ‘we’ thing?! That’s my sister we’re talking about.”

“Exactly. Are you coming or not?”

“Yes. Lemme’ go wash my face first. For fuck’s sake.”

~*~*~

Dry ice drifted over the stage as four men clad in leather and mesh walked and danced across the stage, the four sliding on their knees to enthrall the audience and guide their attention to the large cage sitting on the stage.

With the swell of music, a small figure cut through the mist to rattle the cage, a show of how strong the contraption was.

Two men watched from the front row as the suit-clad figure joined the group in the oddly-choreographed routine - and tapped one lean dancer to join them near the edge of the stage.

Where a wave of the hand, a slow walk around the other, and it was as if the magician had their dancer enthralled, leading them to the cage and guiding them inside, where the dance shifted to wrap cloth around the cage.

The remaining dancers surrounded their magician, spun, and collapsed to their knees just in time for the cage to rise, guided by the small figure’s arms as it lifted to a height almost out of sight from the audience.

The music shifted to include a sharp bang of pyrotechnics and the cage lowered.

Members of the audience gasped at the large tiger now prowling around the cage, now concerned as to where did the assistant go?

The magician spun to the audience, the dancers now coming to stand provocatively around their leader.

Spotlights hid two of the audience members reactions as one of the dancers set a proprietary hand on the magician’s waist, which was reciprocated by the suit-clad figure.

Matt elbowed Shiro in the shoulder. “Stop it, the show just started.”

Shiro glared at his friend and turned his attention back to the stage. “Are the assistants always that handsy?.”

“You blame her? Keith is hot. Wearing that, I’d let him rub up against me too.”

They watched the magician take a bow and stage hands immediately got to work, lowering the curtain to set up for the next trick.

A stage hand pulled a table out from behind the curtain part, as the small magician walked out, dwarfed by their dancers with large metal rings. 

“Don’t worry, they’re solid metal,” a voice, pitched oddly, almost monotone came over the sound system. 

Shiro stared at Matt. “She’s changing her voice?”

“The magic community assumes M.P. Gunderson is male.” Matt whispered sharply, an elbow in Shiro’s side once more to shut the man up before more than just his sister was ruined. “Now watch and learn dammit, because I know she’s looking for another assistant and you’re tall enough to fit the job.

The music shifted to something more ethereal as the small-framed magician looked over the crowd, pausing and motioning for the stage lights to dim so they could see their audience.

They faltered over Shiro and Matt, staring for a bit too long before they waved for a dancer, who arrived from stage left wearing a large black cape.

Shiro watched the large-framed dancer slink around the magician, the tuxedo-clad frame barely hitting the guy in the chest. 

“That is Hunk Garret, her heavy-lifter,” Matt offered, watching M.P. Gunderson wave a hand in front of the dancer’s face, putting him into a soft trance, and encouraging him to lay over the table. “He’s a gentle giant. You’d like him.”

Which must have been sturdier than it looked as it held his frame, the cape filling in the gaps.

The music shifted, and Shiro watched the movements of her hands combined with Hunk now slowly levitating away from the table.

That was when he noticed that the original spotlights were turned off, and the curtains slightly parted.

He knew this trick, a metal plate under the “victim” and a bob-cat doing the heavy-lifting.

But this looked phenomenal.

And to a weaker mind, it looked as if M.P. Gunderson had a seriously strong mind.

Which Shiro knew.

Katie was brilliant.

Now if only she had fucking stayed at the Garrison, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

M.P. Gunderson, no, Katie lifted one of the rings from another assistant and slowly worked it over Hunk’s form, as if telling the audience that nothing held him up.

And since Shiro knew that trick, he had to give her credit, the audience, even Matt was flabbergasted.

More pagentry and the hulking assistant began to slowly fall back to the table. Once his back hit the table, the small figure waved a hand around his torso and stepped away to bring him out of the trance.

A large hand slowly caressed the masked figure’s face before they both struck a pose to the audience.

Who ate it up. The applause followed the duo backstage to see one assistant greet them with a bottle of water and a towel, his larger form hiding the magicians so they could wipe their face off.

Shiro caught the glimpse of honey-colored eyes just before the trio completely disappeared backstage.

~*~*~

“My brother is here,” M.P. Gunderson complained into the chest of her assistant, Lance, who merely patted her shoulder and went to wipe her face clear of sweat. “And why do you smell like animal?”

“My fault. The tiger liked him, a lot,” Keith tugged the illusionist over to a stool and immediately draped himself over her. “I thought I saw Matt in the front row. If he’s here, that means Shiro isn’t too far behind.”

Katie leaned into the warmth Keith provided, thankful that she had at least three assistants loyal enough to keep her secrets. She could see Hunk keeping an eye on the perimeter, Lance doing the same as he quickly changed costumes to one less fragrant. “If Shiro’s here, that means he’s figured out who M.P. Gunderson is and that means I’m fucked. He hates magicians. You remember what he did to Zarkon.”

Keith squeezed her shoulder. “We won’t let that happen.” He dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. “Executioner’s revenge. Who’s the executioner?”

“You, and since it’s the last show of the night, the handsier the better.”

Hunk peered around the curtains to see the setup complete. “Pidge, they’re ready.”

She stood, readjusting the suit around her frame and rolling her shoulders. “Let’s do this. “ She waited for Keith to don the costume robe and entered Stage right just as the curtains opened.

She never had to listen to the Emmcee, she knew the script enough to understand that this trick could be the last one she ever performs.

It never is.

Keith entered, coming up behind her to bodily spin her away from the audience, expertly tying her wrists and she felt two fingers touch her inner wrists. 

“Your pulse is racing,” he whispered, spinning her again so the audience could see him blindfold her. “Mine too.”

Her fidget fortunately worked for the show, her knees threatening to give as Keith frog-marched to to where she knew a bag lay. 

“One foot.” He guided with a touch to her hip. Another touch, her next foot and soon she felt the bag close up around her. She knew as soon as she heard the padlock close, if she didn’t wear the blindfold, she’d see Keith get off on this. 

“Beautiful,” he purred and motioned for the rest of the setup. The muffled silence of the crowd told her that she was now enclosed in the three-sized box. Time to get to work.

She quickly made work of the sloppily-tied wrist restraint, unclipping a length of chain and removing the blindfold, to wait for the knock against the door. 

A quick switch, she quickly donned the executioner’s hood and robes, taking the dagger from a disguised Adrien and dancing her way around the front to the audience, knowing they never suspected a switch.

She untied the front door clasp, and with flourish opened the wings, revealing the “magician” wiggling inside.

Keith always made bondage look so pretty. Katie slid close and let the dagger gently drag against his hood, only to yank it off and turn to face the audience.

The gasps told her precisely what she needed to throw the dagger to the ground and yank off her robe and hood. 

This one was always so easy, but the crowd always loved it and it gave her the opportunity figure out which trick she wanted to do next. Keith slid up behind her, handsy enough that Katie could almost hear her brother’s teeth grinding - no, _Shiro_.

“I can feel that dark aura from up here,” he whispered, tugging her over to stage left once more. “The last time I felt that was with my dad, and we both know what he ended up being.”

“That’d be Shiro. He’s also more protective than my own brother. I bet it’s him you’re feeling.”

Keith looked to Lance, who peered over his coworker’s shoulder to stare out at the audience. “Hedge witch?”

“Focus,” she interrupted the unspoken conversation, well aware that her little trio of assistants were more than eye candy for the audience.

Some tricks, she was never sure if it was her illusion, or their magic at work. And they weren’t telling. “We have six more illusions left. I’m thinking Lance is going to be the Man of Steel next. Hunk, we need Adrien and Kory, could you please grab them?”

“Sure thing, Pidge.” Hunk disappeared to retrieve the other two assistants, but paused because it was just a matter of time until Lance followed him with an embarrassed blush on his face. “They kick you out too?”

“Do they seriously have to do that backstage?” Lance shuddered and ran a hand through his hair.

“You do realize he only gets handsy to make sure you leave, right?” Hunk decided to let Lance in on the secret. “Chances are, he needed to talk to Pidge about Shiro and we know you idolize the man.”

“But the kissing?! Keith is typically all monosyllables and mullets.”

“You’ll get used to that. Pay attention to the illusions that require chains and go grab Kory for me. You have three minutes.”

~*~*~

The Haunted House illusion was the final straw. Shiro felt his jaw drop when the last puff of smoke cleared to reveal a very unmasked Katie, clad in mesh and leather, much like the dolls the assistant, it had to be an assistant, pulled out of the “haunted house”. 

The “magician” had no issues lifting her up and out of the prop and down to snug up against his side. 

It was a ballsy move on her part. 

Surely the audience picked up on the fact that none of her assistants were actually women? “Is she insane?”

Matt’s blank stare was answer enough. 

“And what the hell is she wearing?”

“Really, Shiro? You’re throwing a fit over a costume, that she looked amazing in, thank you.”

Shiro would never confess to wondering what it would be like to have Matt’s sister under him wearing that exact outfit. 

Fortunately that illusion was also the penultimate trick.

He wanted to scream when he felt the heat from the “cremation” illusion, finding himself holding his breathe until the magician returned to the front of the curtains and fanned themselves, as if they were finally cooling off, followed by five assistants, who took up their places and they all took a bow.

The show was over.

And Shiro was breathless.


	2. Shadow and Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire, murder, and men, oh my.

Keith tugged the suited figure into a dark alcove and spun them so if anyone looked, they’d see his back.

Yanking the mask off, he slammed his lips down onto Katie’s, relishing in feeling her hands scrabble against his back until they curled up and clenched on his shoulders. 

She had no idea when their ritual started, but she had her suspicions.

He moved his mouth over hers until he felt her knees give, knowing the power transfer was almost complete. It was the gentlest way he knew to siphon his favorite illusionist of her energy, providing him with a willing food source and her magic a required outlet.

One of these days, she’d figure out the only reason her illusions went so well is because they had some “help”. But he swore with the others that they’d never tell her, given her tumultuous relationship with Shiro of all people.

But the Cremation trick still scared him, and they practiced that trick for days before they dared perform it during a show.

“If they had been seconds earlier, you’d be toast,” he growled, the darkness hiding the effect he knew the kiss had on her. 

“Sorry,” she croaked and faded, going limp against him and beginning to crumple to the floor.

Keith hoisted her into his arms and called for Lance to pick her mask up and put it back on. 

“Are we going to tell her that Kory damned near roasted her?” Lance smoothed the mask over her face and tucked it into her shirt to ensure it wouldn’t fall during transport. He turned his attention to Keith, tucking some of Keith's hair away from his face.

“No, just get rid of him.” Keith readjusted the form in his arms and hefted her a little higher. “We need a new assistant.”

“Think we can get Shiro? He was here tonight. God, those shoulders...”

“No.” 

Lance yanked Keith’s mouth toward his. “We may not have a choice,” he pressed a quick kiss on Keith’s lips and walked away. “We have two visitors in Gunderson’s dressing room. They insisted on it.”

“Fuck,” Keith answered and curled his arms around her just a little tighter. 

“Fortunately, she’s out like a light for the next few hours, so there’s that small win for us,” Lance teased and led the way to Katie's dressing room.

Where Hunk waited with one towering Hedge Witch and the man they knew as Katie’s brother, Matt.

“Were we expecting them,” Hunk whispered when Lance came in the room first, holding the door open to let Keith come in.

“More like, we're not surprised they're here,” Lance answered, closing and locking the door behind him, a quick touch to the ward Hunk had placed earlier. “Oh my god, you’re Shirogane Takashi. Is it true that you fucking destroyed Zarkon?”

Hunk facepalmed because Keith had his arms full. “Lance, you're fanboying.”

Shiro leaned against a wall and watched Keith set Katie down on a chaise. “Do you always drug her after a show?”

Keith glared up at him, the tension in the room ramping up and causing the wards Shiro realized were scattered through the room to glow. “Not drugged, exhausted.”

Shiro slowly nodded, a hand on Matt’s shoulder to keep the sibling near the wall. “Does she know that she has two witches and “ he squinted at Keith,” something else on staff?”

“Nope,” Lance popped the “p” and began changing into his street clothes, not caring about who watched. “And we plan to keep it that way.”

Shiro noticed that they acted as a wall between Katie and her family and wondered if the three assistants knew it.

“What brings you two backstage?” Hunk, good old Hunk asking the good questions.

“That one assistant who turned the gas valve,” Matt flat out addressed the elephant in the room. “I don’t know him, but he tried to kill my sister. Why?”

Lance caught Hunk and Keith’s eyes. “Kory. He propositioned M.P.-”

“Katie. We know who she is.” Shiro interrupted.

“Katie a few weeks back and I guess he didn't recover. He will be taken care of.” Lance clipped, adopting a seat on the head of the chaise.

Matt pulled up a nearby chair and turned it backwards to straddle it. "Have you found his replacement?"

“Not yet. Why, you want the job?” Hunk answered, squinting at Matt as if envisioning the blond in their costumes and it wasn't quite working.

“He does,” Matt answered - leaving two dropped jaws and one visibly irritated assistant. “He’s tall. He’s attractive. He knows how to dance. And he’ll look great in leather and eyeliner.”

Shiro glared at his best friend and then considered the opportunity handed to him.

What better way to expose a magician than from the inside out?

Keith sat on the chaise lounge, his arms sprawling wide enough to block the figure behind him from view. He respected Shiro as a magic user, but regardless of how comfortable the man was with Matt, Keith couldn’t trust him. 

Shiro squinted past him, noting that nobody had removed her mask while they were in there. So a flick of Shiro’s fingers and the mask flew into his hand. He squeezed the cloth and noticed the several auras twined through the mask. 

Huh.

What the hell. 

And his job just got that much harder. “How often do you drain her energy?”

“After every show. Whereas we know control, she does not,” A flick of Keith’s wrist and the mask was in his lap. 

“Keith figured it out the first year we toured with her,” Lance spoke quietly. A little nostalgia seeped into his tone as he continued. “The nightmares, we could handle, but random things floating or being moved by things we couldn’t see? We did a little digging. To no one's surprise, we find out that Sam Holt of all people kept his magic on the DL. To the point everyone assumed their children have no magic at all.” He looked at Matt, who had the decency to look embarrassed.

“I can’t cast, but I can feel wards and what not.” He admitted. “Katie was special. Part of the reason she hates your apartment, Shiro, isn’t because it doesn’t suit you - it doesn’t, but the wards give her panic attacks.”

“So the reason you didn’t want me going after her -”

“Is because half of her illusions aren't.”

“Boom, there’s the secret,” Hunk said flatly. “Now, sorry you two, but Lance and I need to begin helping pack up. Lance, let’s go. Gentlemen, after you,” Hunk held the door open for Shiro and Matt, a sweet wisp of yellow nudging them both to the door. “Please.” He added, adding another layer of strength into the wisp that would easily yank them out of the door if he so chose.

Lance led the way and waited for Hunk to close the door after them. “Shiro, you’re hired. We always wondered about Kory, but the last three Cremation acts, he’s tried to kill her. The only reason she didn’t roast this time was well, fire is Keith’s pet element.”

“How are you two ‘firing’ him?”

Hunk turned to Shiro, as if daring him to say anything to counter. “Oh, we're not firing him. We're going to kill him. Tonight, actually. You’re welcome to join us. Consider it your first act on the job. He has no magic - so we can erase him.”

Shiro and Matt froze. 

They were serious.

“You may not get it, but Katie took us in when we had nothing. So we don’t owe her as much as well,” Hunk looked to Lance. “We love her and would do damned near anything to keep her secret. You’re either in or out. Your choice.”

Matt held up hands to ward off any ill-will. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t even hear this conversation. Shiro? I’ll housesit. I have a key.”

Shiro waited for Matt to leave before he continued. “How many times has this man honestly tried to kill Katie?”

Lance watched the aura surrounding the man shift to a miasma of purple and gray eyes shift to golden yellow as they made their way down the luggage-crowded hallway. Pissed off at Katie Shiro may be, but it was obvious that he had a protective streak for her a mile wide. “Our count, seven times. Keith only knows of three and it will stay that way. I’m not physically capable of handling him at his worst.”

Shiro froze, his suspicions ramping up to fears. “His worst?”

“You know how you said he was something else?” Hunk grinned and began walking back to the end of the corridor.

“He’s not human," Shiro watched both men walk away before Lance answered the unspoken question.

“He’s half demon.”

Shiro's invective was strong enough to peel the paint off of the hallway walls. She would have a hybrid on staff and have no idea. “Better yet, where is Kory?”

The aura thinned before it exploded, enveloping all three men in the hallway and leaving two shaking as it wasn't actually aimed at them. Lance sat down on a trunk at the end of the hall and smiled. "He's right here," he banged on the trunk and his smile shifted into a vicious smirk at the sound of muffled thumping and yelling from within. "Shall we?"


	3. If I Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earning my "E" rating, dammit.

Katie Holt gasped awake, jack-knifing up to a seated position and started to fight the arms around her until she felt who they belonged to.

“Easy, Katie, it’s Keith. You’re safe. You’re fine,” he loosened his grip on her and began petting her hair away from her face. “Breathe, I just need you to breathe.”

She quickly twined her arms around his neck again and held on, letting his warmth soothe her for more times than she was willing to admit. Keith was her first assistant, and dearest friend at this point, but sometimes, she wondered what it would be like to surrender to him for a night. He had offered back when she was first getting started, but then never offered again, so she mildly wondered if she had missed her shot.

“Welcome back to the land of the living.”

“Hi Keith.”

He kissed her forehead. “Hello yourself. Hungry or ready to help pack this mess up?”

“I have a headache,” she leaned on him heavily. “Think the crew will hold it against me if I go hide in the bus?”

“Nah,” Keith held her close to him and got an arm back under her legs. “You know a great way to kill a headache?”

“Pain meds and sleep?”

“I was thinking more fun.” He slid out the backdoor into the cool air of the back alley and knocked on the tour bus door. “Hey Thace, could you give us about an hour?”

Thace looked over spectacles and smiled as two of his favorite people walked in and toward the back of the bus. He said nothing, but merely excused himself to go help with the rest of the loadup. 

And locked the doors behind him.

~*~*~*~

Shiro came back to find two tour buses and four trailers worth of equipment packed and quietly waiting for them.

He shivered as Lance led him to the second tour bus, unlocking it and smiling at their driver. 

“We don’t travel in the same bus as Pidge,” Lance let the name slip among the “public”. “His bus is only configured for an assistant, the driver, and himself. Unless someone sleeps with Pidge in their bed. That said, you can use Keith’s bunk. He’s obviously not using it.”

Shiro immediately knew the next step. Get onto that first bus. And kick the damned hybrid back to his own bunk, or hell, he wasn’t even opposed to share Katie’s bed between the three, but he just wanted her away from the hybrid. He was so distracted that he failed to see the clothes being throw at his head. A pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt that may very well have been a dead man's clothes.

“To sleep in. And don’t bother thinking you’re going to get on that bus. Keith’s an over-protective son of a bitch. Literally. We’ve met his mother.” Hunk answered the unspoken question, making Shiro wonder loudly if he were telepathic.

“Not telepathic either, but each of us have tried to get onto that bus and Keith never gives Katie any time to shut us down, because he does it himself. Or Thace does. Thace has also been with Katie since the start.” Hunk settled into his bunk and shut the dividing curtain closed.

“Got it. See you all in the morning?”

“Yep, next up, Atlanta. We’ll fit you in costumes tomorrow.” Lance yawned and slid the bunk's curtain shut.

~*~*~

Keith flipped Katie over onto her belly and knocked her legs wide, an arm under her hips to guide her into place. He pressed back into her, and felt the energy around them pulse, heat and pleasure swirling around and through them to drag them both to the edge they desired, or in Katie’s case, visited at least six times tonight.

He fucking loved women and their ability to have multiple orgasms.

“Come on, I know you can do it, give it to me, Katie, come on,” he growled in an ear before he sank fangs into her shoulders.

She clutched at the sheets and whined, trying to get enough leverage to thrust back against him, but he had her pinned to the mattress in a way that left her helpless to his attentions.

Looking up at the wall mirror that formed her “headboard”, she could see purple fur, Keith letting his heritage flow through him enough to let the other side influence his looks. That certainly explained a few things for her. And if she remembered, she'd ask how long he planned to keep his dual nature from her during the next show setup.

Like his cock, growing and oh god, he was going to break her.

He pulled his mouth away from her shoulder and licked the wound he left behind.

His claim.

“You’re close, I can feel it,” he grabbed her hair and pulled her head up so she could see both of their faces in the mirror. “You’re so good, so tight. Just give it up to me, Katie, please give it to me.” He thrust his hips hard into her, a different rhythm to drive her insane. 

“Keith,” she whined as heat once again coiled her in her core, making everything tighter and oh-”Keith,” she wailed and writhed under him, frustrated because she couldn’t _fucking move_.

Fingers tipped in claws gently worked her clit as he increased his speed and pounded into her, growling “come on, be a good girl and give it to me, I know you can, Katie. One last one for me, please?”

White-hot agony when he pressed on her clit and she was gone.

Keith felt her squeeze around him in the tightest grip he’s ever felt as she fell apart under him, sending him over the edge to erupt within her, hot and glorious. She collapsed to the mattress in a limp pile when he pulled out, watching purple shifted back to flesh tone and his fangs receded.

Interesting. He never noticed, too busy claiming the woman under him as his.

He’d never tell her the real reason, which was to let others know that he was never too far behind. And to tell others like him just who exactly they’d deal with should they cross her path.

The delicious mixing of their magics were just a bonus. One he’d contemplate later during the Atlanta set-up.

Right now, he’d clean up, and he started by rolling over and cleaning off the woman who slept in the sleep saved for those truly exhausted (another reason he suggested sex), a warm washcloth on her neck, chest, back, he was thorough in his markings, against her sex to clean away fluids left over and to soothe tired skin. 

She was beautiful like this. He dragged a hand up her side and pressed a kiss on her forehead. Absolutely beautiful, he threw the cloth into an underbed hamper and found an extra set of sheets.

Practice made it easy to move Katie around as he changed the sheets, gently tugging the ones from under her to replace with new scented sheets. 

No magic involved there, just some incredible crew who ensured the sheets for their magician were taken care of, scents and all.

Lavender to help her sleep. 

He held the old sheet up to see scant blood splatters.

Her neck.

He winced and looked over her to see the vivid red welt he left behind in his haste to mark her. It’d be more dull in the morning, but if anyone would drag her shirt collar down enough, they’d see the scarred mark.

And it’d heat his blood each time he thought about it. Draping the comforter back over his slumbering lover, Keith peeked out of the windows to see the roads passing by and crawled into the bed to curl up and around her.

They had a 10 hour drive to Atlanta.

He rechecked the wards surrounding the bedroom and his phone to make sure he didn’t miss anything from Lance or Hunk.

One text message.

“It’s been taken care of. Shiro’s in your bunk. We’re keeping him.”

Good old Hunk keeping him up to date.

He texted back quickly, killing his phone’s screen to curl back around Katie, her relaxed form now in the grips of actual sleep. It worried him just how quickly her magic recovered these days despite his attempts to drain her of the excess.

On the flip side, it meant more elaborate tricks and they could begin shaving off stagehands.

On another side, if Shiro cottoned on, then their dynamic would be eternally fucked. Because someone at Shiro’s level knew a demon’s tricks, hell everyone knew precisely what Shiro did when he went toe to toe with Zarkon, and while Keith wasn't a complete demon, the powerful hedge witch made him nervous.

Especially if the man was as protective of the magician as he wanted to be in the dressing room, the aura all but coiled around him and trying so hard to get to her, to surround her in his own protection that she never fucking wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> Go scream @maxthebd on Tumblr.


End file.
